Bottle scrubbing and washing machine



C. B. VAN HORN BOTTLE SCRUBBING AND WASHING MACHINE QB@ w, w23.

Filed June 24, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet l 5mm/whoa lume w, 1923. L45943 c. B. VAN HORN BOTTLE SCRUBBING AND WASHING MACHINE Filed June( 24, 1919 :5 sheets-sheet 2 ZIM Win11. 4

,llame R9, i923.

A-S c. B. VAN HORN BOTTLE SCRUBBING AND WASHING MACHINE Filed June 24, 1919 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. Y BYUJ/m Haw/z Patented .lune 19, 1923.

CHARLES BRIGHT VAN HORN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

BOTTLE SGB/UBBING AND WASHING MACHINE.

Application led June 24, 1919.

To all whom t may concern.'

y Be it known that I, CHARLns B. VAN HORN, a citizen of the United States, residing at .#402 Beaubien Street, Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Bottle Scrubbing and lWashing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to washing `apparatus and more particularly to bottle and can washers and has for an object to pro- Vide a machine for scrubbing and washing bottles and' like containers, both exteriorly and interiorly.

The invention comprehends among other features, a machine which operating as a unit, scrubs and washes bottles exterior-ly and interiorly, in substantially one operation in that the bottle or container will be carried into position for scrubbing and washing and then will be simultaneously7 scrubbed inside and outside and at the same time washed to remove any foreign matter, the bottle or bottles being then re-conveyed to a suitable place of disposal to make room for the next 1bottle or bottles to be subjected to the scrubbing and washing operation.

Still further the invention comprehends a machine which includes what might be termed, suitable compensating mechanism whereby bottles and like containers can be scrubbed and washed regardless of the particular shape and size thereof. To this end it may be here stated that an instance of 'such operation would be in a case where in the use of the machine for the scrubbing and washing of milk bottles for instance, and the bottles subjected to the scrubbing and washing operation could be either quart, pint or one-half pint bottles and by reason of the novel form of compensating mechanism, it is possible to successively scrub and wash bottles of either or any of the mentioned sizes and capacity, without changing the adjustment of any part of the mechanism of the machine. With this as one of the distinctive features, the machine therefore comprehends a` structure in which the entire operation of the mechanism can be controlled and looked after by one operator, it being only necessary for the latter to see that the mechanism is operatingproperly and load on to the carrier the botties or containers that are to be subjected to the action of the machine.

Serial No. 306,312.

constituting a part of` Figure 5 is an enlarged plan view of one i of the units of the carrier.

Referring more particularly 'to the views, l 'provide a frame 10 carried on a suitable base 11, and which frame includes angular' upriglits 12 and standards 13 with a suitable `superstructure la carried bythe standards 13, said superstructure including various brackets and bearings, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth. Bearings 15 of the superstructure 14- revolublysupport a main drive shaft 16, carrying a suitable driving pulley 17 connected` up with any form of .power desired in any suitable manner. Also mounted upon the superstructure 14, and constituting a part thereof, is bearing'lS for the counter shaft 19, the latter carryingan eccentric arm 2O which will of course rotate with the counter shaft 19, when the latter is rotated, said latter shaft having a suitable chain or other connection 21 from the main drive shaft 16.

ln the upper portion of Figure Q` l have shown a cam 2:2 pivoted on the upright Q4 and engaged by cam roller Q3. This roller is mounted on crank arm 20, carried by shaft 19, and one end of the cam is pivotally connected with rod 25, the latter being pivoted at its lower end to lever Q6. A second cam 2T having one end fulcrumed on the bracket S241-, is also operated` upon by the roller 23 and at its free end carries lever arm 2S which extends downwardly to connect with an arm 39 of a bell crank lever 30, pivoted upon one of the inclined standards 12, the other arm 31 of said bell crank lever having pivoted thereto, a lever arm 32 which eX- tends horizontally to pivotally connect with an arm 33 carrying a pawl 3l, the latter being adapted to be operated over a ratchet 35, said arm 33 and ratchet 35 being supported on a vertical shaft 36 in bearings 37 on an extended portion 38 of one of the standards l2. It will be noted by reference to Figures l and 3, that the construction just described is a part of what may be termed the operating mechanism tor the cai'- rier 39. The carrier 39 consists of a continuous runway 40 in which is arranged to operate a conveyor ll, the lat-ter consisting` orP a series of connected units 4t2, each includin a link 43. Links i3 are of the form shown in Figure 5. These andsimilar links connect the units in spaced relation forming chain 43 of Figure 3. The chain is engaged by wheel lll rigid with ratchet wh ecl 35. rllie carrier 39 ot course includes a second toothed wheel 45, carried on a stud 46 on the opposite side of the machine and it will be apparent that the distance between the shafts or studs 36 and t6 can be varied by the adjusting mechanism l? so as to allow of tightening` or loosening the conveyor as def sired. Each carrier unit l2 is provided with rollers a8 operating over the runway and also includes suitable bases or supports i9 for bottles or containers 50, each carrier unit l2 preferably providing` for two of the bottles or containers and which latter are placed in inverted position upon the carrier as shown in Figure l, lt will now be apparent that when the operation ot' the cam 27 actuates the lever 28 which in turn opcrates the bell crank lever 30, there. will be exerted upon the lever arm 32, a pull, causing` the p awl 341- to engage with one of the teeth of the ratchet 35 and thus rotate the toothed wheel 44 thereby actuating' the car'- rier 39. rThis mechanism is so geared and arranged that each time the toothed wheel el is operated through the medium of the pawl and ratchet mechanism, the carrier will be advanced on the runway to bring' one of the carrier units 42 and its accompanying` containers, in position to be operated upon for scrubbing' and washing and as noted in Figure l, there is provided an incline 5l which, when the conveyor is actuated causes the heads or the necks of the bottles to ride up upon the incline so that when a plurality of the bottles or containers are in position to be operated upon for scrubbing and washing', their necks will lie substantially in the saine horizontal plane to the end that proper operation of the mechanism will be assured to work upon the bottles or containers regardless ot the length thereof.

The links 26 mentioned heretofore and which have connection with the lever arm 25, may include an auxiliary link 52 and forms partof what l term the compensating mechanism, taking, care ot the bottles or containers relative to the positioning` thereof and the scrubbing and washing` operation, regardless of the size of said containers and to this end the auxiliary link or linlis 52 connect with a stem 53 which as shown in Figure 2 is vertically movable and carries on its upper end a brush 54, the saine being` known as the interior brush for the container. The stem is mounted to turn as well as to slide and carriers a toothed wheel 55, the latter meshing with a bevel wheel 56., having connection in any suitable inanner with the main drive shaft 16 so as to insure the rotation oli the stem 53. To receive the neck or head end of the bottle or container, l provide a tubular support 57 through which the brush 5e is adapted to slide and support 57 preferably carries a sprocket 58 connecting` with a chain 59 which latter may be connected in any suitable nianner with the driving shaft 16 so as to impart the rotation to the tubular support 57, said rotation being,` opposite to the rotation of the stem 53.

ln superposition to the bottle or container that is to be scrubbed and washed there is disposed a vertically movable spindle 60 capable of rotation as well as vertical movement, sai piiidle receiving its rotation by reason of the provision of a toot-lied wheel 6l iii mesh with a beveled or toothed wheel 62 connected up with the main drive shaft in any convenient manner, the spindle 60 at its lower end carrying' a Contact cushion or member 63 of any suitable design or torination and which it' desired, may be spring actuated, said cushion member being adapt ed to b lai' against the bottom oi" the inverted bottle or container.

To insure `co-incident operation of the lower stein or spindle 53 carrying the brush 54 and the upper stein or spindle carrying' the cushion 63, it will be seen that l provide a link 64 which connects with the link 26 and with a second upper link oi arm 65, the latter being` suitably tulcrumined at 66 by reason oft' an interposed link 67 to the trame of the machine with the 1free end of the link or ariii connecting' with the spindle 60 through the medium of a collar or the like, in order toni-ove the spindle upwardly or downwardly to bring the cushion meine ber 63 into or out of engagement with the bottoni of the inverted container or bottle and by reference to Figure 2 it will be seen that whe-inthe rod 25 is moved downwardly by the action of the roller 23 upon the cam 22, the link will swing' downwardly and it will be noted that the link carries a cross pin 63 operatin; r in the slot 69 ot' a depending; bracket T6 'forming' a part of the frame, Now the downward movement ot the. cani 22 will exert a downward pull on the link 6st which iii turn will exert a downward pull on the 'free end oi? the lever or arm 65 thus causing` the spindle 60 to move downwardly by the pull or its own weight, bringingl the c shion 63 against the bottom of the invertfit) ed bottle or container. Now at the moment the cushion engages the bottom of the bottle the fulcrum of the link 26 will be changed, the pin 68 engaging the lower part of the bracket 70, because of the continued downward movement oit the rod` 25, and therefore the lower end of the linl; 26 will receive an upward thrust, causing the latter to move the stem 58 upwardly thereby advancing the brush 54C into thel bottle or container.

In order to facilitate the proper centering of the bottle which is being operated upon, I provide a combined centering and brush mechanism which consists of a plurality'ot opposed arms 7l one of which on its tree end carries a roller 72 and the other of which carries an exterior brush 73, so called because its operation is confined to the ex-` terior of the bottle.

These arms 7l pivotally depend from the under side of the super-structure, and each carries a roller 74, the rollers adaptedto engage a head 75 on the cross head of spmdie 60 which mounts the cushion member G3 (Figures Q and 4). Thisihead hasinclined portions and is enlarged toward its lower end, so Athat when rollers 74 engage with the enlarged portion of the head, `the roller T2 and brush 73 will be spaced from the periphery of the bottle or container, whereas, when the spindle 60 is moved downwardly a contractile spring iconnecting the arms 71 to pull them together, will cause the rollers to operate over the reduced portion of the head, thus permitting` the roller 72 and brush 73 to be moved toward each other and engage the periphery ot the bottle or container thereby facilitatingthe centering of the latter.

From the foregoing description it will b seen that with the mechanism thus tar de-` Iscribed. a series of operations take place either synchronously or successively to the end that a bottle or container' will be brought into position for the scrubbing and washing operation, which latter then ensues. Attention is called to the fact thatalthough l have described the mechanism as taking care ot merely one of the bottles or containers at a time, l in fact have designed and shown the mechanism in the drawings in such a manner that two bottles or containers are operated upon at the same time and therefore, sununarizing what has been said, it will be seen that when the drive shaft lo is actuated, the carrier will be placed in operation to be intermittently moved so as to bring a plurality oit bottles into position for the washing` and scrubbing operation and while so doing,eeleva`ting those bottles or containers to be operated upon, bythe provision ot' the incline'l. Now when `the bottles have reached the position desired, the `further operation oi, the machine causes the cushion member and what might also be tioned heretofore. 1

termed the bottley holding mechanism, to

be actuated so as to provide sufficient lt is obvious that the .mere use ot interior and exterior brushes upon the `bottles orcontainers, cannot y ordinarily bring about the scrubbing` and washing operation and theretore to: insure proper scrubbing and washA4 ing of the bottles, a suitable fluid is provided to operate upon the bottles in conjunc-` tion with `the interior and exterior brushes. To this end l provide a main supply pipe Sl which is provided with a suitable valve 82 and includes a pipe arm 83 connecting with a vertical pipe 84, the latter extending upwardly to a point immediately above the bottom o the inverted bottle or container or bottles or containers, which are to be scrubbed and washed, said pipe S4 having a suit able hose S coupled thereto and which hose is connected to a cross pipe 86 having suitable connection with the tubes or pipes Si" supplying water to the stem 53 of the brush l 54C. The valve 82 has an operating valve arm 88' connected to a rod S9 which may or maynot be supplied with a suitable spring 90 and thev rod 89 has pivotal con# nection with the lever arm at the point of coupling` on the lever 26. New referring to Figuresl and 2, it will be seen that when the rod Q5 movesl downwardly, the down-l ward pressure exerted on the rod 89 will open the valve 82 permitting the water in the supply pipe 8l to pass into the pipe t-:t and from which a portion will pass upwardly in theV pipe `84e to be sprayed oiit upon the `exteu'ior of the inverted bottle or bottles in washing position, whilev the re- .mainder of the water will pass rthrough the hose 85 andinto the cross pipe S6 to go up into the interior brushes and to be sprayed into the interior ot' the bottles that are now in washing position.

The/vertical pipe 811i also carries a. cross arml 91 vhaving one or a plurality of which may be disposed immediately beneath the carrier so as to further spray waterinto the bottles or containers alter they have lett their washing positions and are carried on around to a point of disposal, although it` will oiil course be understood that rthis is merely a supplemental washing or rinsing that can be pro vided in conjunction withthe machine it desired.

i ltwill be apparent rthat in the operation' of the carrier it is necessary to provide tor the exact stop of one of the carrier units 42 at the moment the two bottles carried thereby are brought to the position Where they are 'to be later operated upon by the iAV terior and exterior brushes and to eliect the proper positioning of each carrier unit`r l. have provided the same with an extern-non 9E having; an open slot 94:, this being shown. in detail in Figure Nov-J referringto Figure 2 it Will be seen that l provide nea-r 'the upper portion of the machine an arm 95 having o'diset portion 96 which latter is normally engaged by a roller 97 on the extremity ot the eccentric arm 20 that connected to the arr 955 is a dependingl rod 98, the lower end oi which hooks into a second depending; rod 99 with the loiverextremity of the latter providing a stop indicated by the ninneral 100 in Figure 5 and adapted to be receiver in theslot 9a. Now when the eccentric arm 2O is actuated to operate the roller 23 over the cam 27 to actuate the carrier and intermittently move thesame, the roller 9i viii be moved away from the otiset portion 9b1 thereby causing the same to gravitate by reason of the Weight of the rods 98, so

that the stop i0@ will drop into the path of.

the extension 93 and when the particular carrier unit L2 reV ches the po ion Where y its bottles Will be in WashingA positicin me engagement of the extension 93 with the stop 100, will hrung` the particular carrier unit to a standstill by urrestin-'i` the movement he carrier had obtained by the impetus of ro tation imparted through the medium ot' the 'toothed Wheel 'l-l. l" e last descri1 ed mech anism and which l term my stop meclianism tor the carrier, it will be seen `s aise automatic in its operation and terms another step or linlz in the chain oi'- actions that take place in the operation ot the entire machine whereby it is possible to effectively operate the latter Without the necessity of several operators.

Summarizing once more the v rions steps and movements that ensue in the operation ot the machine, it Will be nonY understood that when the machine is placed in operation the carrier is first intermittently lmoved to bring a plurality of the bottles into Washing' position and is then permanently stopped by the stop mechanism While the Washing: auf, scrubbing operation take place; that at the moment the carrier is brought to a stop the interior and exterior brushes and t ie cushion or centeringmechaui m are all brought into play to perform their particular functions and coincident therewith the desired supply or' Vater or other cleansing fluid is brought forward to co-operate With the brushes auf Wash the interior and exterior wa is of the bottles. Thus when this'has been etieoted the continued operation of the machine will cause the roller 23 to resume its joun ey about the cams 22 and 27 to the end that they Will be returned to initial positions thus also returning the various operatingl parts to initial positions so that the carrier will l,- agjain ready to be operated and moved il'orward to bring two unwashed bottles into position Vi'or scrubbing and Washing and simultaneously carry away the tivo Washed and scrubbed bottles to a point of disposal.

vWhile various slight alterations may be made from the construction set torth in the drawings and described in the speciiication, it will be understood that these would invoire merely structural details not apt to change the principle ot operation or the cooperation of the variousparts or' the machine to bring about the desired result and 'that although have shown a particular 'torni of device in the drawings7 l reserve the i'ght 'to maire various slight changes Without departing from the spirit ot the invention, the scope of which is delined in the apjiended ciaims.

Having described my invention, claim;

l. i bottleA scrubber and Washer comprisingv a trahie1 a bottle carrier on said iframe, means ior moving said carrier in a step by step movement to advance said bottles into and out of scrubbing` position, means for supporting; and centering said bottles in potion it'or scrubbing and Washing, scrubbing mechanisms simuitaneously operable 'to scrub the interior and exterior of said botties, means operable co-incident with said. scrubbing' mechanisms to supply Washing, iiuid to the bottles during the scrubbing operation7 and a controlling' means for the e terior scrubbing mechanism, said means including a pivoted element and a device of varyim@v cross-section co-operatinp; with said pivoted element and a bottle holding device projecting from the device oi varying crete section.

2. i bottle scrubber and Washer comprising a trame7 a bottle carrier on said frame, means for moving said carrier in a step by step movement to advance said bottles into and out of scrubbing and Washing position, means tor supporting and centering said bottles in position for scrubbing and Washing', and scrubbingr mechanisms simultaneously rotating` and vertically moving to Wards said bottles to eiiect the scrubbing operation, said last mentioned means includinrg a vertically moving` element of varying cross-section and a swinging element enby the element of varying cross-seo tion adapted to contact with the exterior or" said bottles.

3. In a bottle scrubber and Washer the combination with a bottle carrier, of a shaft actuatee rol er controlled cam mechanism as with the bottle carrier for moving the hotties in a step by step movement into and out ot scrubbing,` and Washing positions,

lili) CII interior and exterior bottle scrubbing mechanisms and a second sha'l't actuated and roller controlled cam mechanism associated With said iirst mentioned cam mechanism.` and co-operating` therewith, to actuate the bottle Washing mechanism iimnediately after the `lirst mentioned cam `mechanism has been actuated to move said carrier. f

et. In' a bottle scrubber and ivasher the combination With a bottle carrier, of cam mechanism associated Withthe bottlecarrier for moving the bottles thereon into and out of scrubbing` and Washing,- positions, interior and exterior bottle scrubbing mechanisms tor scrubbing the interior and exterior of l the bottles, a second cam mechanismassociated with the iirst mentioned cam mechanism and with said bottle scrubbing mechanisms for actuating the latter immediately d after the bottles on the bottle carrier have been received in scrubbing and Washing positions and a fluid supply apparatus associated with said second cam mechanism and 3 said scrubbing;` mechanisms for supplying Washing fluid to the scrubbing mechanisms and the interior and exterior of the bott-les When said scrubbing mechanisms are actuated, said cam mechanisms including a plurality of pivoted cams` a shaft and a radial arm thereon, and an element carried by the arm and cooperating With both cams.

5. In a bottle Washer and scrubber,` including scrubbing and washing' devices for operating on bottles, means for 'feeding bottles into and out of scrubbing and Washing' positions in a step by step movement, and

shaft actuated roller` controlled cam leverl means simultaneously operable in conjunc-` tion with said scrubbing and Washing devices for automatically positioning said bottles and controllingr the automatic scrubbing and Washing thereof, irrespective of the size of said bottles.

6. In a bottle scrubber for automatically scrubbing bottles of the same or different sizes, the combination with holding and scrubbing' ydevices for the bottles, a lever and v means directly operated thereby for automatically adjusting; the holding and scrubbine devices as to the diameter and height of the bottles to insure the effective operation of the devices upon the bottles.

7. In a machine of the character described, bottle holding means, bottle cleaning elements, means for introducing cleaning fluid into said bottles, lever means, tripping' means connected with said lever means for moving the bottle holding means into operative position, means operated by said lever means upon movement thereof through a further angle, adapted to move one of the` cleaning elements into operative position subsequent to the operation of the holding means, and means including' a shaft actuated roller controlled cam mechanism for autonatically` moving and adjusting said lever means. d i c v S. In a machine oi they character described, bottlevholding means, bottle clean-,v

`the cleaning elements into operative position subsequent to the operation of the holding' means, a bottle carrier adapted to be operated in a step by step movement to move said bottles into and out of position to be cleaned, and shaft actuated roller controlled cam and ratchet means for actuating` said bottle carrier in a timed step by step movement to position said bottles for the operation of the cleaning elements.

9. In a machine ofv the character described bottle holding means, bottle cleaning elements, means for introducing fluid into said bottles, lever means movable about separate fulcrum points, and adapted to move the holding means into operative position, means permitting said lever means to operate about a second fulcrum point for moving one ot the cleaning elements to operative position, a shaft actuated roller controlled cam mechanism, and means operated thereby for controlling the levers.

l0. In a machine of `the character described, a rotatable shaft, a crank mounted thereon and rotating therewith, a roller mounted on said crank, a plurality of cams actuated andcontrolled by said roller when said shaft is rotated, bottle holding means,

moving the bottle holding means and bottle cleaning element to operative position, means actuated and controlled by `said cams controllingthe admission cleaning Huid into the bottles, devices actuated and controlled by said cams and roller adapted to bring the bottles into'position for cleaning, and a locking device controlled by said roller and cams for retaining the bottles in position during the cleaning operation.

11.In a machine of the character described, bottle holding means includingr a spindle, an arm actuating the spindle, a rod controlling' the arm, a lever, the rod being pivoted to the lever intermediate of its ends and the lever being fulcrumed at one end, mea-ns for moving the lever and elements connected therewith for operating `move thek cleaning element to operative position.

said arms toward each other when said spindie is moved in the opposite direction, spring means (3o-acting with said arms adapted to draw said arms together When said spindle is so oppositely moved, and a bottle cleaning device carried upon one 01c said arms.

In testimony whereof I aiX my signature. f

CHARLES BRIGHT VAN HORN. 

